How Ben Discovered The Multiverse

Posted on May 31, 2020 @ 7:14pm by Ambassador Xana Bonviva
Edited on on May 31, 2020 @ 7:15pm

Mission: Dog Days Of Summer

“How Ben Discovered The Multiverse”

[previous post were (ANU) "Be True to Thy Self" / (BAS) "Reunion"/ (PHX) "Compartments"]

=/\=

"There has never been, nor will there ever be, anything quite so special as the love between the mother and a son."

-Unknown

=/\=

Location: USS PHOENIX, Counseling Center

Stardate: 35013.1600/[2.20]0531.0013

If they were on Earth it would have been a Wednesday. Emergencies did not happen on Wednesdays. Nothing happened on Wednesday except the brief sigh of relief that you were past Monday and Tuesday and the inhalation that you were almost into that slide into Thursday and Friday.

In other words, it was another day at the grind.

Pugs had no sense of a grind. So Captain Smooshy, the therapy pug assigned to the USS PHOENIX, sat in the Counseling Center waiting for his next appointment. Usually Owen was with him but Owen didn’t do well with children so Xander took this appointment. Xander looked at his nails and picked at the tiniest piece of dirt under his fingernail, waiting for the 10 year old boy to come to his Counseling Session. Leaning back in his chair, Xander kept an eye on the chrono as the seconds crept by while waiting.

Minutes ticked by and Captain Smooshy whined as his latest session wasn’t here. The PHOENIX was a big ship, and to a 10 year old boy going to a Counseling Session, it was easy to find other things to do. Tapping his commbadge, Xander called out, “Computer, find Benito Bonviva-Crichton.”

[[Bonviva-Crichton, Benito is not on the USS PHOENIX]]

Xander wondered if Ben and his teenage sister went to Starbase 56, where they were docked. That had to be it, he thought to himself.

The alternative was….unthinkable.

Reminding himself to be calm, he tapped his commbadge again he said, “Elgin to Dalziel.”

[[Dalziel here. What’s up? I thought you were in sessions this afternoon.]]

“I’m supposed to be,” Xander admitted, “but Ben didn’t show up.”

[[Sometimes Jake lets them go to the Starbase,]] Eve said, referring to their father who was also the ExO. [[I’d start there, they may have lost track of time.]]

Drumming his fingers on the desk he said, “Makes sense. Elgin out.” Tapping his badge again he said, “Elgin from USS PHOENIX to Starbase 56 Security.”

It took a moment but he got through. [[Starbase 56 Security here.]]

“I’m looking for a minor from the PHOENIX, he’s not on our ship. A Bolian/Human male, age 10. Full name of Benito William Bonviva-Crichton, goes by Ben,” Xander said. While talking to the Starbase, he noticed Captain Smooshy appeared to be in full out panic pug mode, walking in circles and whinging.

There was another pause before the same voice came back. [[Sir. There is no one on the Starbase matching that description. Do we need to lockdown the Starbase?]]

Wednesdays at 1300 were not supposed to be a problem, Xander thought to himself. It was supposed to be a counseling session with a 10 year old. “Yes,” he said. Tapping his badge again he said, “Elgin to Dalziel. Ben is missing and the Starbase is now on lockdown. I think we have to go on lockdown too.”

Suddenly the ship went into Red Alert as Lt. Jasmine Yu’s voice came over the speakers. [[Per Starbase 56, all ships docked in the Starbase must go into lockdown due to a missing minor.]]

Eve’s voice came back, [[We just did. And now I have to tell Jake the lockdown is for his son.]]

=/\=

Location: SPACE STATION NOWHERE, The Crown’s Office

Stardate: 35013.1700

The Crown was not pleased. Sitting back in her seat she looked across at her best. “How did we lose track of them?” she asked.

The Agent stood there, arms folded, back straight and firm. She would not stand against the cool walls in The Crown’s office; that would have been weak. She was strong; no matter how many hours she had worked, she would not let her weariness be evident. She also knew she couldn’t say the obvious: that it was a large station; that there were more of them; that they had allied themselves with The Performer. None of this would matter to The Crown. She did not want problems; she wanted opportunities and solutions. Crowns did not get their hands dirty; that is why she had The Agent.

Or The Warrior; but she wasn’t here now.

Instead The Agent stood there, considered her options before settling on the simplest one that would get her out of this. “There have been other priorities.”

“Hmm,” the Crown murmured as she considered this. It wasn’t something she could dismiss out of hand. It was true; there were always competing priorities. Still she didn’t want anyone to become stagnant. They were on the cusp of--

The doors opened up and The Executioner stood there. “It’s time,” she announced without any preamble. “Your presence has been requested.”

The Crown nodded and got up to follow The Executioner while dismissing The Agent with a wave of her hand. There were very few things that were outside of her jurisdiction; but The Executioner was one of the ones who could dictate The Crown’s schedule.

Standing at The Crown’s door was Fiona with an azure boy with white hair. “Who is this?” the Crown asked. “Is this one of The Warrior’s--”

“No,” Fiona interrupted as the boy looked back and forth with wide violet eyes. “It’s one of her mirror’s.” Clearing her throat she said, “I brought the other one back to where he came from.”

The Crown stood there and contemplated the situation. “We’ll deal with this later. For now we have a more pressing matter. You’re all coming with me.”

As The Crown fell in line behind The Executioner, Fiona fell in line behind The Crown, and Ben was dragged along. “But my mom,” he hissed.

“When The Crown says we do something, we do it,” Fiona said.

Ben sighed as he was dragged along. It was not the first time he had been dragged somewhere because of his mother, but even for being an Ambassador’s son, this was weird. “Who was that other kid I saw?” When Fiona looked at him he clarified, “The one who looked like me?”

Fiona ignored Ben and pulled him along even tighter.

=/\=

Location: SPACE STATION NOWHERE, Sickbay

Stardate: 35013.1715

The normal hubbub of Sickbay was removed. If someone had an emergency, they were sent to a satellite location. Non-emergencies were turned away.

There was a matter of utmost importance to The Executioner to attend to; she had to live up to her title. And unlike others; she did so with little crowds and fanfare. She was not a complete barbarian; she allowed the victim to decide who would watch. The victim picked 3 people, as per the Confederacy’s customs: 2 of her spouses and her boss, The Crown.

The Warrior, her body ravaged by a disease that had no name here, had weaned herself from all medications. She had decided prior to this moment that she would face her death as she had her life: just herself with her weapon in her hand.

The Executioner faced her with her own weapon in hand: a small instrument of choice. “Before I begin, have you made your final decisions?”

The Warrior nodded. Pulling out 2 slim PADDs from her long, slim leggings she handed one to The Executioner. “This is my last will and testament.” The Executioner took that and slipped that into her own pocket. The 2nd PADD the Warrior offered to The Crown. “This goes to the one who slipped into the other dimension. See that it goes there.” The Crown nodded and took the cool PADD from The Warrior’s hands.

Once that was complete, The Executioner announced, “Any last words?”

The Warrior thought about that and then shook her head. “I just want to be free from all of this,” she said softly.

“That will do,” The Executioner decided. Nodding as she picked her weapon, The Executioner indicated The Warrior should go first. The Warrior tried to throw her trishula, but her strength was so diminished that she was barely able to lift her right arm up to complete the throw. The weapon went in the air and then clanged on the floor next to her. The Executioner waited until the trishula stopped clattering on the floor before holding up her small conical device. Everyone in the Sickbay put on their face shields, except for The Warrior. Within moments, a violet mist was sprayed at The Warrior. In the space of seconds, she inhaled the mist and slipped down on her weapon.

The Executioner walked over and examined The Warrior. “The Warrior has been executed by botulus major.”

The Crown nodded at that, before tapping on a small device on her person. “Ring the bells.”

There had been 2 more guests, but they slipped into the viewing gallery above the Sickbay. The smaller of the guests struggled against his captor but she wrapped her stronger hand and arm around his mouth.

But he saw everything; he saw The Warrior stand there, weary from life. He saw The Warrior give one life one more attempt at life before succumbing to poison. He didn’t hear her say she was done with life. He did watch her crumble to the floor.

When Fiona finally released Ben’s mouth he banged his fists against the clear barrier as tears streamed down his face. “Mama…” he sobbed.

Fiona said nothing but watched The Crown leave. Finally she said, “Come on, it’s time to go.”

“I don’t want to go anywhere with you,” Ben said stubbornly as he continued to look at the fallen woman on the floor as if he could will himself down there with her.

“You don’t have a choice,” Fiona declared as she pulled him along. “Besides, it’s to see your mother.”

=/\=

Location: SPACE STATION NOWHERE, Lower Levels

Stardate: 35013.1715 (the beginning is concurrent with above and then overlaps)

“How is this helpful, Ambassador?” Captain Morningstar asked.

Xana did her best not to glare at the Captain. “I can’t fully explain it,” she admitted in a hushed tone.

The Native American CO of the ANUBIS did not look pleased with that answer. “Yet, you want to stop for a field trip.”

“First of all a field trip would be me stopping to buy shoes, chocolates, or liquor which we’re not,” Xana admonished the Captain. Turning to Charlie Koniki she asked hopefully, “Unless there is some of that down here?”

“No,” the Captain said at the same time as Charlie Koniki who said, “Yes.”

Waggling her finger at the two men, the Ambassador side-stepped them both and said, “Now you’re both just confusing me.” Looking around she said, “So I will sit on this chair...I think it’s a chair….anyway I will sit until I’m sure what I’m doing next.”

And so she made herself comfortable and looked up with expectant eyes as if everyone else would sit or wander away and leave her to think, which is exactly what happened.

First Nicole Dima wandered over to the Ambassador after some time. “This is an interesting resting spot.” Leaning against a wobbly tower she said, “Not the worst spot but not the best.” Thinking she said, “I’d rate it a solid middle.”

Xana looked up at the CNS from the BASTET. “Solid middle?”

“Solid maybe stretching it,” Dima admitted with a smile. Looking around she said, “Still it’s an interesting stopping place.”

The Ambassador raised her eyebrow. “Oh?”

Nicole looked over and gestured with her hands. “They’re content. They’re willing to share what they have,” she explained, referring to the communities down here. As they heard the music of what sounded like an instrument between a piccolo and a harmonica she said, “From a cultural standpoint, they’ve done a remarkable job of integrating their various societies.”

“That’s what we’d want to see,” Xana said softly.

The Counselor nodded. “Indeed.” Seeing Captain Morningstar walk over, Dima smiled and nodded as she left.

The Captain nodded as he sat down across from the Ambassador. “Tell me it was worth it,” he said softly, parroting back words the Ambassador had said to him months ago during a difficult mission.

Xana was nibbling on her nail as she looked at the Captain. “I don’t know yet,” she said softly. “But why are there groups of Shillians here?”

Morningstar nodded. “That has not gone unnoticed,” he said.

“No one here seems to be upset at being here,” she pointed out. Waving her hands towards the settlements she said, “Do I want to live here? No. But honestly, this is no worse than some of the places I have lived in after various wars.”

“You haven’t seen any more signs of war here,” he said quietly. “This is not a peaceful society but that’s different than a vengeful one.”

Xana leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees. “The beginning of the Federation was fraught with war and strife because….well for lots of reasons. It has not gone unnoticed that the leadership at first, well….”

“They had arrogance,” Morningstar said finally. “They were explorers, and like all explorers off on a new adventurer, they didn’t think about the others’ story.” There was a moment before he asked, “The question is, have we?”

As Captain Iverson’s group approached where A’Janni lay, a boy about 10 years old angled in from the side. He caught up to Jayson and as he kept pace with him grinned up at him like they shared a secret.

Xana stared at the boy. Her voice was breathless like she’d just run a marathon. “He cannot be.”

It did not take a huge leap to realize that the Ambassador thought this boy was her son, Captain Morningstar thought. And whatever else her quirks, the woman loved her family. He knew she was in frequent communication with all of her children. It was what had driven her to the ANUBIS in the first place, a chance to get well for her children.

Sometimes a Captain had to do the painful thing to do the right thing.

Captain Morningstar grabbed the Ambassador’s arm to restrain her from going forward. “He may not be yours,” he whispered.

Xana Bonviva looked at Erik Morningstar and as the axiom went, if looks could kill he would have been with the ashes on the floor. She was, however, a member of the Federation and understood.

She also was a pain in the ass.

“Ben,” she smiled at the boy. Waving to the Captain she said, “This is Captain Morningstar.” Inhaling she said, “And he and I are here to help people.” Pausing she said, “And I think you should introduce yourself and after that I’m sure he’d love to hear about STTS.”

Ben, whose violet eyes were slightly swollen, looked at his mother askance and then looked at the Captain. “Okay,” he nodded. “Cap’n Morningstar, I’m Ben Bonviva-Crichton, the founder and President of the Save the Tribble Society or STTS. People think tribbles do nothing but eat and have babies, but that’s not true. They give comfort and even in some situations can be taught some simple tricks. And tribbles are hunted by large reptiles. But you can have the tribbles spayed or neutered, which means no more babies in case you didn’t know, and then they’re just fluffy and they can live--”

Erik Morningstar didn’t know what good this did but realized he was going to have to be the biggest heel for having to cut off a young boy in the middle of an impassioned plea about tribbles, of all things. Looking over at the Ambassador he was going to ask her if this was her son, he saw that she stood as still as any statue but there were streams of tears going down her face while there was a look of unspeakable joy on her face.

It was her son; this was the proof she was looking for.

“And we adopted 6 tribbles because the President of the society had to have some,” Xana said quietly giving the young boy the proof he was looking for but didn’t have the words to voice. “Sir Giggles, Sassy, Ashix-the-Avenger, Kahless, Fluffy, and Cocoa.”

Ben nodded at that and went running into his mother’s arms as she opened them up. “I saw you die,” he said into her neck.

“No, bambino, I’m here,” she whispered, rocking him back and forth as she had done so when he was a baby over many nights. Looking at her son she whispered, “How did you get here? Where’s your sister? Is she here? Where’s your father?”

“Not here,” Ben said as he explained his day with the kidnapping and Fiona.

Xana’s face paled at that. They might be divorced, but she knew Jake would be inconsolable if something happened to Ben, as would Dahlia.

Morningstar went to move back to give Xana some room when he heard something. Turning around he saw Charlie Koniki loudly sobbing. “I promised myself I wouldn’t cry,” Charlie said as he grabbed a worn out handkerchief from his pocket.

Suddenly bells rang out.

For the Italian born and bred azure woman, the closest thing she could think of was that it sounded like church bells. It was a loud, ceremonial, chiming call to action. Looking up from where she was, Xana was amazed to see the locals were suddenly stopping what they had been doing and kneeling on the ground with their heads bent low.

“Kneel,” Charlie Koniki whispered.

The ANUBIS and BASTET teams looked around. “Why?” Xana asked.

Charlie looked as if they were crazy. “The bells ring out when our best die.”

Suddenly Xana looked around and saw people sobbing, leaning on each other for moral support. At the same time, from the same way she came in she saw Adriana with Sonja, Mitshiba, and Shar’El who appeared to be just as confused by the crowds kneeling and the bells ringing.

“Who died?” the Ambassador asked.

“You,” a voice said from behind them.

“I told you so,” Ben said from the protective space of her arms.

Turning around they saw two familiar figures. Audible gasps and a hush came over the Lower Level.

A hologram of The Crown, flanked by The Agent, stood there. “Well not you obviously,” The Crown said, “but our Warrior.” Looking out at the ANUBIS and BASTET who were gathered she continued on, “Now please prepare yourselves, I think I’ve been a hospitable host but I think it’s time we’ve talked.”

=/\=

NM/NRPG: Thank you for reading this multi-universe, twisty, tale! Let me try to sum up:

Ben Bonviva-Crichton (Xana’s 10 year old son) was kidnapped from our universe. The “how” of it will be revealed in another post as well as who that other boy was that Ben saw (Shawn Putnam and I are working on that).

For now in the mirror universe, Ben is there with Xana (and they have established that it is really them) but some of the kidnapping does involve Fiona.

Also established, is that The Warrior (Xena, aka Xana’s mirror) has died. With that, The Crown has asked to speak with The ANUBIS/BASTET teams.

There is a “backpost” and for that I apologize, but it was the only way I could think of to explain the kidnapping and line up the events of the Crown with everything. Apologies for any liberties I’ve taken.

I hope that covers everything, and that was twisty enough for you.

David: Thank you for that twist, I didn’t see it coming :)

Francois/Jerome/Jessica/Tiffany/Shawn: Thank you for all your help and support :)

=/\=

Sarah Albertini-Bond
Ambassador Xana Bonviva
USS ANUBIS

and

Dr. Tulla Keiku, LT
USS PHOENIX